Black on Grey on White

Bowing down with a great big smile and wishing you all a wonderful summer. Time has come for my wee blunt scribble friends to take a well deserved rest. They have packed their bags and are off with the fairies cherries. Few loose ends to tie up and I'll be following them. Black on Grey on White will be back with a vengeance in a few weeks. Look forward to catching up with you all then. Have a fan-da-be-d0-see summer. Ciao ciao.

The red drawers in my studio hold well over a 108 pencils. They are of different descent but share the same ability to draw a smooth professional line. All are grand scribblers, crucial players in the creation of my work. All play the same type of graphite music, some louder, some softer, some faster but all sound harmonious and clear. (BTW, there is a great blog: Pencil Talk all about pencils, pencils and more pencils. This blog orchestrates facts, figures and technicalities around the graphite pencil and as they aptly say "exploring the art and science of pencils since 2005". Well worth checking out .) Back to my studio inhabitants. All have great blood lines . They are the Staedlers, the Derwents, the Faber-Castells, The Cretacolors and the Prismacolors. The Staedlers (Made in Germany - seriously big: around 2.500 people work for Europe's largest pencil manufacturers) live along side the Derwents ( Made in England - my favorites- launched in 1938), the Faber-Castel...

This is short and sweet. The sun is to blame. Pulled took me by the hand on Friday and coldly let go this morning. Three days of a sunny cyberless world. Beautifully strange. Wrapped up in my other reality reminded me that I had not blow my horn about me myself and I . A few weeks ago, a cool article/interview came out in The Equinest (a really informative and dynamic site for all things equine). The article is a recommended read for finding out more about my views, inspirations (Da Vinci is mentioned...) and motivations. I would also like to warmly greet (and reassure) all my new followers. Don't run away; there is usually no trumpet playing here but much much more art. The melodies made by my pencils sound a tad better than the sound of my own horn (signing off: that was slightly off key :)!) Toodleloo!

Untitled Black Lab Graphite on Paper, 17x22 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved. Finished and awaiting approval (and a name). Below: the vital steps that led me to the end result. Following on from where I left off last week here are steps 4, 5, 6 and 7. Step 4 Here more work has been done on the bone structure and depth. This was done by refining the layer of 4B and adding to the nose and mouth. Remembering to follow the lay of the hair.Work has also begun on the longer hairs around the neck. Step 5 More emphasis is brought to the jaw line and start given to the ear. Invisible on the scan: work was also refined around the eyes. Step 6 This step was all about getting more hair blocked in and establishing movement and texture to the neck. The ear also takes on a little more shape and texture. At this stage I am only working with a 2B and varying the layers over the blocked darks. Step 7 This step is were the nose and the lighter areas of the head get "covered" in ha...

pARTied, had a smashing time and no headache to nurse!!! "Belmont's Tail End" Graphite on Paper 36x20 cm (14'x8') Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved Went to a virtual art pARTy organised and hosted by fellow artists Kim Santini , Linda Shantz . This simply means one reference pic, one day to produce an inspired piece of work and another day to peek at all the variations on a theme provided by the other participants. This pARTy's reference picture was provide by photographer Juliet Harrison . These are great challenges, especially for someone like me who likes to work too slowly. With such a short dead-line you have to simplify and work loose and ....speed up! Went for the first thing I saw: the bay horses eye and dilated nostril. The diagonal composition emerged from there. Sketched down a few lines (in ink would you believe!) picked up a 2B Derwent and got scribbling on Strathmore Bristol Smooth ( 300 series). Loaded The Killers into the hi-fi...

I love labs especially when they are that traditional wise black. My own lab was black and lived by my side for over 16 years. I am amazed at the speed this portrait is coming along. Subject knowledge and memory lane are the paths I am following. The pencils making the marks: my good & faithful Derwents in 4B and 2B. Their marks are going down on Hanemuhle 200gr paper. The only one thing truly bothering me: I don't know this chap's name...and will have to wait (not cool!) three whole weeks until the owners are back in reach of modern day communication... Oh and tomorrows a pARTy .... a first for Black on Grey on White!!!!